A medical speculum is a generally conical instrument which is used to facilitate inspection of a body orifice. Typically, speculums are configured for easy removability and attachment to a hand-held instrument, such as an otoscope. Physicians most commonly use speculums for examining the ears or nostrils of humans or animals. The typical speculum is designed so that a doctor can easily look into body orifices to examine for medical problems. To help prevent transmission of disease or infection between patients, once a speculum has been used on a patient, it is either disposed of or set aside for subsequent cleaning.
Typically, especially with respect to veterinary use, the speculums can be expensive. If the veterinarian is making numerous calls or examining a multitude of animals, such as a herd of livestock, a large number of speculums must be carried along, such that the speculum is changed between examining each animal. Not only is it expensive to purchase and maintain the required number of speculums, but it is also tedious and time consuming to remove the used speculum and replace it with a new one between each patient being examined. If not disposed of, then the speculums are generally cleaned by hand.
The insertion end of a speculum is the portion of the speculum that is inserted into the body passageway and, therefore, is typically the portion which becomes soiled with residue and is unsanitary. However, it is difficult to adequately clean the narrow passageway that forms this insertion end of the speculum. Accordingly, instead of expending valuable time or risking the spread of disease or infectious germs, the doctor may decide to simply dispose of the speculum. If the doctor decides to recycle the speculum, a pointed object with a cloth draped over it may be inserted into and through the inside of the speculum to clean the insertion end properly. Other cleaning techniques may be used by the physician, but are equally inadequate. Not only are these techniques time consuming and tedious, but they are insufficient to properly clean the speculum, especially the passageway at the insertion end.
It is also common that body fluids, such as blood, mucous or sebum (wax) can form a film that is difficult to remove from the speculum by merely washing or wiping it out. Currently used speculum cleaning techniques are generally ineffective in removing the bodily substances, especially from the narrow insertion end of the speculum.
First, these residues can spread disease and infection. Second, these accumulated residues can obstruct the doctor's view of the body cavity being examined and thereby prevent the proper examination of that body cavity. Thus proper cleaning of the speculum not only helps to prevent the transmission of disease or infection, but also clears obstruction. Also, proper cleaning of the speculum is a prerequisite to adequate sterilization and sanitizing processes.
Millions of dollars of materials are wastefully disposed of each year because they are too expensive to recycle. The disposal of used medical items, such as speculums, is also becoming a logistical and economic burden which is ultimately passed on to the consumer.
Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive container which is adapted for cleaning speculums or other speculum-like items, which is hand-held and which is quick and easy to use.